The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for controlling crop growth including plant tissue culture within a contained environment. In particular, the invention uses an “expert system” to automatically and/or remotely monitor and control environmental inputs to crops, to achieve optimum uniform crop growth within the contained environment, while utilizing the minimum necessary expenditures for nutrients and energy.
In space exploration and development, for example, an expert system is necessary for bioregenerative Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems, because of the extreme limitations on crew time that might be available for monitoring the plant productions units. In any future human exploration missions (such as to the Moon or Mars, for example), it is likely that the ALS systems will not be constantly (and perhaps not even frequently) monitored by the human crew. Furthermore, there will be no “experts” in the crew that will be trained in all aspects of plant biology or system maintenance.
On Earth there are also needs for such a system. For example, growing plants that are genetically engineered to produce pharmaceuticals in many cases will require containment. Biopharming or molecular farming can employ this system to eliminate commingling and or contamination concerns between traditional plants and plants grown to produce drugs and vitamins to support human life on earth.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system which can control crop growth in a remotely situated contained environment, with little or no human intervention. Due to the difficulties which may be encountered in delivering energy and essential nutrients to such a remote location, it is also important that such a system also be capable of optimizing crop growth in terms of crop yield, growth time and the consumption of energy and nutrients. Finally, in order to permit human intervention where necessary, such system should also include facilities for communication between the system itself, which is situated at the remote site, and a user via a distant interface, so that the user may discourse with and override the expert system where necessary or appropriate.
The use of aircraft or satellite remote sensing, including multispectral imaging to assess crop or vegetation growth and plant stress is known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,271, for example discloses an airborne imaging system that produces georeferenced agricultural maps of cultivated fields, which show soil and vegetation characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,544, on the other hand is directed to the collection of remotely sensed image data in order to monitor plant stress and to recommend remediation; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,537 provides a system that predicts plant stress and crop yields, using an algorithm that combines remotely sensed image data at 680 and 770 nm. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,819 discloses a methodology for using remotely sensed data to classify and separate genotypes, separate the population of inbred and hybrid plants and to mark the effects on plants due to environmental factors. Finally, published U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 2004/0034459 and 2005/0104771 both use remotely sensed data to assess plant condition.
None of these systems and methods, however, provides an autonomous expert system that is capable of detecting plant stress and recommending and implementing cultivation and/or remediation in order to optimize plant growth and minimize consumption of energy and nutrients in a remotely situated contained environment, taking into account a diverse range of environmental considerations, which may exist in an enclosed environment.